Romford to get graded boost
Romford could gain around two dozen more graders following next Thursday’s Premier Greyhound Sales according to organiser Nathan Corden.
He said: “On average, around 50% of the entries end up staying at the track which is why they are proving so popular. In addition of course, Romford have agreed to pay the £200 bond for each runner that joins them. All things considered, the convenience too, we are expecting a decent turnover on the day.”
The Premier sales outfit continue to prove popular with Ireland’s leading breeders and there are ‘Magicals’, ‘Yahoos’ ‘Glengars’ and of course ‘Droopys’ on show. Nathan highlights a couple with the latter prefix as being worth following.
He said: “What about Droopys Process & Droopys Zena? Superb breeding of Droopys Sydney out of Queen Lilly. Or the Feb ’23 youngster Crypto Coin, a son of that great bitch of a couple of years ago, Smallmead.”
“Let’s do all six!” – Holloway’s Champion challenge
Ricky Holloway had five finalists in the 2023 Ladbrokes Champion Hurdle with Lenson Doolin setting new figures for the 380H clock in his 23.10 win. This time around Holloway has seven in the semi-finals which will take place on Sunday at Crayford on Premier Greyhound Racing/Attheraces and he’s hoping to make it a clean sweep in the decider.
“I’m really looking forward to it, we’ll rise to the challenge,” Holloway told us this week. “We had five finalists last year, I’d like to see if we can better that… let’s do all six!”
Razldazl Barkley will lead the charge, a spectacular 23.31 winner of his heat. That was his first race over hurdles so it is no surprise to hear his trainer call him a “precocious talent” and a dog who “could be anything, a very, very fast, low hurdler.”
Comparisons were drawn with Razldazl Raidio in the aftermath. That hurdling star passed away last week so the timing could not be better for Holloway to have another novice with untold potential on his hands.
Three of the four heats went to Holloway, Harlequin Ernie and Four From Two the other winners. The former is “The babyish one out of them all, from a very fast litter that includes Miss Syd. He’s coming along lovely, his forte is his early pace.”
Four From Two jumps high at his obstacles but last week was “only his second-ever hurdle race, he’s bound to improve an awful lot. He’s more of a staying hurdler, he’s very powerful and will come on a ton for the race.”
Of Holloway’s other runners, Signet Harper “has not been performing of late but if she came back to her original form, she’d be a real player while Razldazl Randall is “absolutely fine” after taking a tumble on the pickup on Sunday.
One non-hurdler who will be of interest on Sunday is Slick Sabo who is making his debut for the Holloway kennel. The former Glenvale Bill has been sold onto Roger Cearns but despite Ricky’s best attempts, the 2023 Puppy Classic winner has taken to the jumps like a duck to ice skating.
Two open races at Swindon tonight
A pair of opens at Swindon this evening will see the ladies and maiden stayers in action. Arthur Cucumber gave Savana Top Cat backers heart palpitations when she pinged out in the opening round of the greyhoundtrader.com Stakes at Towcester. She looks the one to beat in the ladies’ heat at 8.11.
Ballymac Rocky can make it a red-jacketed double in the maiden stayers at 8.28. He has only one attempt over six bends to his credit, shaping as if it will suit him.
Open race wins 2024
14 wins: Different Speed – Queen Joni
13 wins: Coonough Crow – Druids Say Go
12 wins: Acomb Felix – Ballymac Taylor – Romeo To Victory
11 wins: Dashing Dude
10 wins: Bettys Jack – Garfiney Blaze – Queen Georgia – Rioja Maxi
Opens
Friday: Romford
Saturday: Central Park ♦ Doncaster ♦ Hove ♦ Oxford ♦ Perry Barr
Sunday: Crayford ♦ Sheffield ♦ Towcester
